What does the skin care process include?

In fact, there is no standard skin care process that is universal across the Internet. The core skeleton of all skin care links is only three must-do items: cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. The rest are all additional items that can be flexibly adjusted according to skin type, scene, and skin care needs.

There are quite a lot of debates about the skin care process online. One group firmly stands for "simplified skin care" and feels that more than three steps will put a burden on the skin. The other group advocates "refined care", which divides skin types into different periods and even stacks products with different effects in different areas. Many of my friends who are just starting to explore skin care have been confused by these two opinions.

A while ago, my cousin with oily and acne-prone skin fell into the trap and followed the Internet celebrity's "eight-step perfect skin care method", which consisted of toner, serum, two functional essences, lotion, face cream, eye cream, sunscreen, and only three kinds of light whitening essences. After half a month, she became depressed and shut up. She even had several red, swollen and pimples on her forehead. She came to me with a sad face to complain. I helped her cut down the process to only the three basic items of amino acid cleansing, light moisturizing lotion, and sunscreen. I only applied the anti-acne gel on the acne spots. Within ten days, most of the acne was gone, and the red acne also shrunk.

However, this does not mean that the additional skin care steps are all IQ taxes. It is useful to adapt to your own skin condition. I have naturally dry and sensitive skin. When I stay in a heated room in the northern winter, my face becomes so dry and painful after sleeping all night. After washing my face, I apply a layer of softening lotion, then apply a repairing essence, and finally seal it with a thick layer of moisturizing cream. When I wake up the next day, my face is still moisturized. These two extra steps are completely necessary. If my face looks dark and dusty after staying up late to catch up on a plan, I will also add a layer of whitening essence before moisturizing. The brightening effect will be obvious after two or three days.

In fact, the skin care routine is quite similar to our usual meal preparation. Cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreen are the staple food of rice and noodles, which must be eaten every meal. If any of them are missing, skin problems are prone to occur. Those functional essences, facial masks, and special care are meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruits. Whatever is missing, you can make up for it. There is no need to add a lot of things that are not suitable for you in order to make up for the "standard steps", nor do you need to forcefully "simplify" the skin and make your skin uncomfortable.

Many people still memorize the fixed order of "water, essence, lotion, cream". In fact, it is completely unnecessary. Just remember two core logics: the thinner the texture, the more functional products that need to be penetrated and effective are placed in front of the closed products. If you are using an oil-based repair essence, you can apply it after lotion or even cream. There is no need to stick to the standard chart online. If you encounter special circumstances such as being exposed to the sun or having cosmetic surgery, it is perfectly fine to temporarily add a cold compress and repair facial mask. There is no need to forcefully squeeze these special care into your daily routine and burden yourself.

I now touch my face before skin care. If it feels dry, apply more layer. If it feels oily, apply less layer. My skin is comfortable and more reliable than the "perfect routine" recommended by Internet celebrities.